Suzuki and Omega brawl WAY to the back of the crowd to start the match. Later in the match Kenny teases a One Winged Angel, which Suzuki reverses and teases his own Gotch style piledriver. I like the dynamic of Bullet Club vs Suzuki-gun, especially when their leaders clash! Just for good measure, Suzuki and Omega brawl through the entrance curtain after the match. Did I mention Suzuki-gun vs. Bullet Club is money?!

Bushi & Sanada vs. Hiromu Takahashi & EVIL

EVIL taps out Bushi with an arm-trapped reverse facelock. This was a finish I didn't see coming.

My Take:

If Los Ingobernables vs. Los Ingobernables wasn't weird enough, Daryl comes out with a Naito-esque haircut, and Sanada comes to the ring in an entrance mask with long goat-like horns on it. Funny spot at the beginning where Sanada offers a handshake, EVIL is hesitant, and rightly so as Sanada goes right for the Skull End which is countered by EVIL teasing an STO. There's something about Sanada vs. Hiromu that I really liked and want to see more of.

Gedo & Kazuchika Okada vs. Jado & Toru Yano

Yano low-blows both Gedo and Okada, then rolls up Gedo for the victory.

My Take:

Strange to have Jado and Gedo on opposite teams. Even stranger to have an intra-faction Chaos match. Okada destroys Yano with a boot to the gut during Yano's "break" spot. Gedo offers a handshake to Jado, but thumbs him in the eye instead of shaking Jado's hand. Yano's comedy works in these prelim matches, but it's gonna irritate the f--k out of me in G1 tournament matches.

– G1 Climax Matches – Block A –

Yuji Nagata vs. Yoshi-Hashi

Yoshi-Hashi pins Nagata with a package driver.

Match Highlights:

Yoshi-Hashi taunts Nagata with paintbrush slaps to the back of the head. Nagata responds by kicking the crap out of Yoshi-Hashi.

Yoshi-Hashi and Nagata trade chops and slaps until Nagata finally down Yoshi-Hashi with a kick to the chest.

Yoshi-Hashi kicks out of an Exploder at 2.

Nagata kicks out of a powerbomb pin with flipping bridge at 2.

Nagata kicks out of The Loose Explosion swanton at 2.

Nagata fights out of some kind of arm-trap neck crank that Yoshi-Hashi had him in.

Yoshi-Hashi fights out of whatever Nagata lock # the armbar is.

Yoshi-Hashi kicks out of a back drop suplex at 2.5

Nagata kicks out of a lariat at 2.5

My Take:

My mind wandered a lot in this match, it was hard to get into until Yoshi-Hashi started paintbrush slapping Nagata. While the match got good towards the end, it was quite hard to follow at times. It went a long time. If you watch this just skip the first 5 minutes or so.

Togi Makabe vs. Bad Luck Fale

Fale pins Makabe with the Hand Grenade lifting lariat.

Match Highlights:

Fale starts the match by throwing Makabe from guardrail to guardrail outside the ring. A technical wrestling classic indeed

Fale bodyslams Makabe then sits on him. Ugh, why do I have to watch this!

Fale kicks out of a clothesline at 2.

My Take:

Your bathroom break match of the night, sponsored by Charmin. Clotheslines. Shoulder tackles, bodyslams. About what you'd expect from these two, which isn't a good thing! Thankfully this match ended rather quickly. The less said about it, the better.

Hirooki Goto vs. Tomohiro Ishii

God damnit, Goto wins with an inverted GTR followed by a regular GTR. f--k Goto!

Match Highlights:

Ishii and Goto trade chops and slaps until Ishii finally downs Goto with a headbutt.

Ishii and Goto run the ropes for what seems like an eternity, missing clothesline after clothesline, until Goto finally connects with one that takes Ishii down.

Goto kicks out of a superplex at 2.5!

Ishii and Goto take turns no-selling each others clotheslines.

Ishii kicks out of an Ushigoroshi at 2.5

Goto kicks out of a powerbomb pin at 2.5

A seated Goto kicks out of a sliding lariat at 2.5

Ishii and Goto for a second time take turns no-selling each others lariats until they finally hit lariats at the same time and both men go down.

The two men trade forearm shots for a solid minute!

Ishii kicks out of a lariat at 1!

Ishii kicks out of a roundhouse kick to the chest at 2.5.

My Take:

A great match but the wrong guy won. Goto is going nowhere. Ishii is coming off two match of the year candidates during the G1 USA specials. f--k Goto, he needs to go to NOAH and stay there!

Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

Tana taps out after Zack rips off Tana's arm tape, and really wrenches in a painful looking wrist submission.

Match Highlights:

Tanahashi goes for a senton, but Zack moves and catches Tana in a juji-gatame.

Zack locks Tana in an octopus hold.

Tanahashi goes for a cloverleaf submission but Zack quickly gets to the ropes.

Zack gets a 2.9 count on Tana with a weird flipping roll up variation.

Tana hits the Sling Blade and one High fly Flow, but on the second High Fly Flow attempt Zack catches Tana in a Rings of Saturn type submission.

My Take:

This was another match I had trouble getting into at points. After so many hard-hitting, high-impact style matches in a row, this was a bit of a change-up. A Good match nonetheless that saw Zack holding Tana's Intercontinental Title after the match, taunting Tana with it.

Kota Ibushi vs. Tetsuya Naito

Naito pins Ibushi with a second Destino, after Ibushi kicked out of the first.

Match Highlights:

A cool running-the-ropes sequence that ends with Ibushi hitting a flying double stomp on Naito.

Naito gives Ibushi a neckbreaker on the ring apron.

Ibushi hits the Golden Triangle Moonsault on Naito.

Ibushi gives Naito a stiff forearm shot to the face as Naito went for his corner trip and slingshot spot.

Ibushi kicks out of a German Suplex Pin at 2

Ibushi transitions a Dragon Suplex into a German Suplex on Naito.

Ibushi lariats Naito out of his boots, but Naito somehow manages to kick out at 2.5!

Ibushi kicks out of Gloria at 2.7!

Ibushi kicks out of a reverse-rana from the top turnbuckle at 2.5!

Ibushi counters Destino by running and throwing Naito into the turnbuckles like a lawn-dart, head first!

Standing on the second rope, Ibushi German Suplexes Naito from the ring apron back into the ring, but Naito kicks out at 2.5!

Holy f--k! Ibushi Piledrives Naito from the top turnbuckle, but Naito somehow manages to kick out before the count of three!

Ibushi kicks out of Destino at 2.9!

My Take:

A bit anti-climactic when a top-turnbuckle piledriver doesn't end a match but a Destino does. That poor booking aside, this was match of the night and a match of the year candidate, a must watch.

Overall Take:

With the exception of Makabe vs. Fale, and the first match I missed half of, there wasn't a bad match on the card. Ibushi and Naito really brought it in the main event. Ishii and Goto was good, but Goto needs to LOSE and then just go away for good. ZSJ beating Tana was a bit of an upset, but a fun upset. A fun show overall.